Q&A: Gov. Scott's teacher pay plan

Gov. Rick Scott has advanced a $480 million pay raise plan for Florida public classroom teachers.

Gov. Rick Scott

Q.Is the governor's teacher pay plan likely to become law?

A. Scott's plan is the opening move in what will be a four-month debate over the new state budget. With the expectation of increased revenue for 2013-14, legislative leaders are open to the idea of higher pay for teachers, many of whom have gone for four or five years without a raise. But the devil will be in the details, including how it fits with other state budget needs. The Board of Education requested a $891 million increase for the K-12 system that did not include the raise. Its top budget request was for a $442 million technology upgrade for the schools. How those competing needs will be balanced in the school budget, along with the pressing need for school safety improvements in light of the Connecticut tragedy, will be key. Scott has called for an "across the board" pay raise, while legislative leaders seem to give more priority to a merit-based pay system. But teachers are in a better position this year for a raise — which ultimately will be decided by the individual school districts — than in recent years.

Q.Will increasing teacher pay improve Florida schools?

A. Starting pay for Florida teachers is $34,605 and the average pay is $46,921, according to the National Education Association. In recent years, Florida's teachers have faced a number of challenges. In 2011, the state decided to require teachers as well as other public employees who participate in the state pension fund to begin paying 3 percent of their salaries to their retirement. The pension payment was seen by many as a pay cut since they had not received a raise in recent years. Teachers are also under increasing pressure from the use of standardized testing in the schools to measure performance. A 2011 law that ended a tenure system for newly hired teachers also linked merit pay for teachers with test scores. Scott's pay plan could produce a raise in the range of $600 to $2,500 per classroom teacher.

If that became a reality, it could help provide some relief to a group that has felt embattled in recent years in Tallahassee.

Q.Why has Scott dramatically changed direction on public education funding?

A. Elected as a Tea Party candidate in 2010, Scott took a tough budgetary stance in 2011 when he and lawmakers faced a budget deficit of more than $3.5 billion. The result was a $1.3 billion cut for public schools. Last year, Scott reversed his field and advocated a $1 billion increase for schools, which the Legislature largely adopted.

Now Scott, who signed the tenure-merit pay bill in 2011 that was strongly opposed by the teachers' union, is now advocating a raise for teachers. Scott says education funding is critical to Florida's economic future. The governor's critics say he is trying to repair a political image that has suffered as he heads toward a 2014 re-election bid. Not surprisingly, his likely opponent, former Gov. Charlie Crist, has a much more favorable record on school funding and Crist vetoed a version of the 2011 bill that Scott signed when he was governor in 2010.

Q.What's next?

A. Scott's teacher pay plan is only one part of his overall budget proposal for 2013-14, which will exceed the current $70 billion state budget. Next week Scott is expected to announce his full budget plan.

But the governor's budget is only a proposal that will be considered by the state Legislature, which has the ultimate authority to write the new budget bill. Lawmakers begin their annual session in March and by early April the House and Senate will pass their separate versions of a budget bill. Then lawmakers will spend last three or so weeks of the session negotiating the final budget, which will be passed in early May when the annual session concludes. The new budget — subject to the governor's vetoes — will take effect in July.

Lloyd Dunkelberger

Lloyd Dunkelberger is the Htpolitics.com Capital Bureau Chief.
He can be reached by email or call 850 556-3542.
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Last modified: January 23, 2013
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